Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUCIEN GUINEUF, OF BORDEAUX, FRACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LQADING FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 152,365, dated June 23, 1874; application filed March 9, 1874. i

To all uhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUCIEN GUiNnUF, of the city of Bordeaux, Department of the Gironde, in the Republic of France, have invented new and useful Improvements in Breech-Loading and other Fire-Arms, of which the following is a specitication:

The object of my invention is to produce a re arm superior to those heretofore constructed by its strength, as well as the simplicity of the mechanism connected therewith, and by a peculiar construction of the fire-arm, by means of which the hammer or hammers form part of the interior mechanism, thereby obviatin g the acciden tai discharge oi' such iirearm.

My invention also consists in providing a suitable lever provided with a spring-catch, by means of which the cartridge chamber is turned out of its seat for loading, and held iirmly in position when turned back again for tiring; but that my invention may be fully understood I will describe the same in detail by aid ot' the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a longitudinal section, of a lire-arm embodying my invention.

A is the cock or hammer, the base of which is provided with three notches-one. a., for discharge; a, half-cock; and a2, full cock. These notches perform the function of the tumblers used in iirearms generally, and which are here suppressed, thereby simplifying, as well as strengthening, the mechanism. The hammer A forms part ot' the inner mechanism, and is placed within a chamber, A', termed the hammer-chamber, which is located iu rear ot' the block II, containing the striker l, being' near the butt-end chamber. Instead ot' cocking the hammer A in the ordinary manner, I provide an additional lever o1' trigger, B, by means ot' which the hammer A is cocked or half-cocked, as may be desired. This lever B is attixed outside of the triggergua-rd, and is pivoted thereto at b, and is provided with an extension, b1, entering the hammer-chamber A', and to the upper end of this extension bl one end of a link or stirrup, b2, is pivoted. The other end of such stirrup b2 is pivoted to the hammer A at b3. When it is necessary to half-cock or full-cock the arm, all that is required is to pull the trigger or lever B, the extension b1 of which, acting on the hammer through the stirrup b2, will bring' or tumble such hammer A backward into half or full cock, as plainly shown by the drawings. The extension b1 of the lever B, when the hammer is at full-cock, ts into a recess, g, formed in the block G. (See Fig. 2.) The hammer A is released for tiring by pulling the trigger D inside the triggerguard, the detent part d of which is pressed or held into the notches a al a2 by the spring d1. The hammer A receives its impulse through the spring d2, as shown by dotted lines, Fig. v1, and full lilies, Fig. 2. E is the cartridge-chamber, which is movable-that is to say, it may be turned in or out ot' its seat F by means of a lever, G. This lever G is provided with a spring-catch, which, when the chamber E is in its seat, catches in a notch or recess formed on the outside of the seat F, as shown by Fig. 1, and locks the chamber E securely in position.

The advantages of the lever G are obvious. By its peculiar construction, it not only serves to eii'ecually lock the chamber E, and hold it firmly in .position for ring, but also, acting as a lever, enables the inarksman to turn such chamber E out ot'r its seat F for loading, or to turn it back again for iirin g, with the greatest ease and facility, as well as rapidity, as the grasping of the lever will release the catch from the notch or recess, and a slight pressure ot' the hand from right to left, and vice versa, will turn the chamber E out of its seat for loading', or back again for firing.

Having described my invention, what I cla-i in, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In fire-arms, the hammer or hammers A, inclosed in a hammer-chamber, A', in combination with the lever b2, lever B, having an eX- tension, b1, the recess g, and the trigger-guard, when arranged, constructed, and operating substantially as shown and described.

LUCIEN GUINE UF. Witnesses:

ALBERT VEYRAT, JEAN BAPTISTE GIRARD. 

